Water-current motor.



No. 867,843. PATENTED'OGT. a, 1907;

, H. W.-SGHMIDT.

WATER CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 1906.

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blilli' BATENTED OCT. '8, 1907,

H. w. SCHMIDT. WATER CURRENT MOTOR.

A'PPLIOATION FILED JUNE 14, 1906.

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. No. 867,843; PATENTED OCT. 8, 1907.

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WATER CURRENT MOTOR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 14, 190B.

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INVENTOR Henry 7%. Iii/ 1272225 By "(go AITOFNEYS run Nomi): PETERS co., 'wasnmnmu. D. c.

PATENT oFFroE.

HENRY WILLIAM SCHMIDT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

WATER-CURRENT MOTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907.

Application filed June 14,1906. Serial No. 321,690.

' clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to water current motors. The object of the invention is to produce a motor of simple construction which will utilize the energy of water currents.

A special object of the invention is to provide an arrangement which will enable the motor to have a wide range of usefulness in practice, and to provide such a construction as will enable the motor to be reversed so as to adapt the motor to tide movements.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through a motor constructed according to my invention, certain parts being broken away; this section is taken on the line 11 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is a cross section on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan of one end of the motor shown in Fig. 1, certain parts being broken away; Fig. 4 is a detail representing a cross section taken through an adjusting block and its adjacent parts, and showing a portion of a gear wheel over which the block passes; this view is a cross section on the line 44 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 is a cross section through the operating cable near one of the blocks shown in Fig. 4, and showinga portion of the rim of the gear wheel in cross section, contiguous parts being broken away; Fig. 6 is a plan of the adjusting block shown in Figs. 4 and 5; Fig. 7 is a cross section through a pair of operating cables and showing one of the anchor blocks which cooperate with the adjusting block referred to above; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section taken through one end of the motor and illustrating the manner in which the motor is reversed; and Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8, but representing a modified construction of the motor, adapting the same for use as a wave motor:

Referring more particularly to the parts, and especially to Figs. 1 and 8, 1 represents a crib which is formed of; columns 2 arranged in two rows as shown, and connected by longitudinal girders 3 resting upon their upper ends. These girders 3 are connected at their ends by end beams 4 and at intermediate points by cross beams 5 which are preferably disposed at the columns 2 as indicated. The columns 2 are connected by suitable braces or tie rods 6, as indicated. These columns 2 are preferably formed of piles which are driven into the bed of the stream or river where the motor is to be set up.

In the space between the rows of columns 2 I provide a pontoon 7 which is formed with a double bottom 8 and double sides or walls 9, and the ends of this pontoon are widened out so as to form mouths 10 as indicated in Fig. 3. At substantially mid-height on the pontoon, a horizontal floor or deck 11 is formed which extends between and through the side walls 9. This deck also projects at the sides so as to form guards or landing boards 12, said landing boards being suitably braced by sponsons 13 arranged as shown By reason of the deck 11, the lower portion of the pontoon and the interior of the double bottom and double wall are formed into a water-tight compartment 14. Within this compartment, suitable diagonal braces 15 may be arranged as shown in Fig. 2.

Between the deck 11 and the double bottom 8, a sluice 16 is formed through which the current of water is to passl At the ends of the pontoon the upper section of the double bottom is preferably inclined downwardly to form a guide lip 17 for the current. I

At or near each end of the pontoon, in the side Walls 9 thereof, a horizontal shaft 18 is rotatably mounted, and these shafts 18 are provided with a plurality of gear wheels 19 disposed as shown in Fig. 2, and having enlarged hubs which abut against each other as indicated. I represent four of these gear wheels, but there may be more or less of them as desired. These gear wheels are disposed opposite each other so as to facilitate their being driven by endless cables 20, the said cables being arranged in pairs as shown, each pair opcrating with each alining pair of gear wheels. These cables are formed into short links or section 21, the ends of which are anchored in adjusting blocks 22, the said blocks being provided on their faces with teeth 23 which are adapted to mesh with the teeth of the gear wheels 19. The cables 20 are arranged so that they lie an equal distance on each side of the plane of the gear wheels. Near each adjusting block the adjacent section of the cables have anchor blocks 24 attached thereto, and these anchor blocks are provided with rings 25 which are attached to adjusting bolts 26, said adjusting bolts passing through the blocks 22, and carrying nuts 27 as shown, to seat against the remote face of the block as indicated. With this arrangement, evidently the slack of the cables may be taken up at any desired point. The cables are arranged upon the gear wheels 19 with the blocks 22 in alinement transversely. In each set of the blocks 22 there is mounted a transverse bucket shaft 28. Each of the shafts 28 carries a paddle, vane or bucket 29; these buckets consist simply of fiat plates, the outer extremities whereof are provided each with a transverse guide bar 30, and the extremities of these guide bars project to a point near the inner faces of the side walls 9 of the pontoon, carbraces or tie rods 43.

rying rollers 31 as indicated. On the inner faces of the side walls 9 of the pontoon I provide a track or guide channel 32, which is of substantially oval form, having longitudinal extensions 33 connected by curved ends 34. The upper extension 33 of the extensions 33 lies very near to the upper faces of the gear wheels 19, while the lower extension 33 lies at or near the lower portion of the sluice 16 aforesaid. Near the upper portion of the sluice'there is an auxiliary track or guide channel 35, the body of which extends longitudinally of the pontoon as shown, and this track connects by curves 36 with the curved ends 34 of the main track at the points 37. It should be understood that the rollers 31 are guided in the tracks 32 and 35. In order to enable the rollers to be directed into one or the other of the lower extensions of the track, I provide at the points 37 switches 38 which are pivoted; these switches consist of curved plates which, when disposed as indicated in Fig. 1, complete the main track. When moved into a position such as that indicated by the dotted lines at the left in Fig. 1, the switch closes the adjacent end portion or curve 34 of the main track, so that a roller proceeding toward the left will be directed downwardly into the curve 36 and into the auxiliary track 35. The upper extension 33 of the main track -is extended at its extremities so as to form spurs 39,

and these spurs connect with the curves 34 so as to constitute turn-outs from the track, the purpose of which will be described more fully hereinafter.

From one of the shafts 18 a belt 40 is driven, which operates an air compressor 41 or similar device for developing or storing the energy. The said air compressor may be mounted upon the deck as shown, and the weight upon the deck may be taken substantially by beams 42 disposed transversely between the sets of gear wheels and connected with the deck by diagonal It should be understood that the pontoon will be sunk to any desired depth by admitting water into the water-tight compartments 14. In order to facilitate the balancing and raising of the pontoon, I provide a plurality of counterweights 44 as indicated in Fig. 2, the said counterweights being supported on cables 45 which pass over sheaves 46 arranged at the sides of the crib, the said cables 45 being attached to the pontoon in any suitable manner.

Near the switches 38 I provide reversing switches 47 which consist of short sections of channel iron which are normally held out of the way by counterweights 48, as indicated in Fig. 1. These switches are adapted to be depressed so as to constitute continuations of the upper extension 33 of the main track. When lowered in this manner, a roller passing along the track cannot pass downwardly at the switches 38 but will be directed out into one of the spurs or turn-outs 39. Cords 49 which carry the counterweights 48 pass over suitable sheaves mounted on brackets 50, which brackets are attached to the upper sides of the side walls of the pontoon as shown.

Referring especially to Fig. 2, I provide the buckets 29 with slots 51 which extend transversely with respect to the bucket shafts, and these slots are disposed opposite to the gear wheels 19 respectively so as to provide clearance for the gear wheels and the cables in a manner which will appear more fully hereinafter. These slots 51 are provided with enlargements or recesscs 52 which facilitate the passing of the blocks through the buckets when the buckets are passing the ends of the motor.

The mode of operation of the motor will now be describcd: In Fig. l. the buckets are shown in the relation which they should have when-the motor is to be operated by a current passing from the left to the right through the sluice 16. In this connection, it should be understood that the pontoon will be sunk the desired depth so as to develop the greatest possible energy from the passing current. When in this position, the lower ends of the vanes or buckets as they pass through the sluice are disposed toward the left, while the upper portions are disposed toward the right. The water passing through the sluice then exerts a considerable pressure upon the buckets and drives them toward the rear end of the sluice. ln this way the endless cables 20 are driven so as to rotate the gear wheels 19 and the shafts 18. As the buckets pass from the lower extension 33" of the main track to the upper extension 33", the buckets are folded downwardly so that they do not present their faces to the water as they advance. This mode of operation is, of course, brought about by the depressed position of the upper section 33 of the main track. As the buckets arrive at the forward end of the motor, their rollers are guided over the switches 38 into the curves 34 of the main track. If it is desired to have the buckets come into a folded position when passing through the sluice, this may be accomplished simply by throwing the switch 38 at the left of the figure into the dotted position in which it is represented. The outer ends of the vanes or buckets will now be guided so that their rollers will run in the auxiliary track 35 in the sluice, the buckets moving inwardly so as to arrange themselves in substantially the relation shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 1.

When the motor is used simply as a current motor in a stream not affected by tides, there is no necessity for providing means for reversing the buckets. When the device, however, is used as a tide motor, such an arrangement is necessary, and the mode of operation in this connection will now be described: .ltelerring especially to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the buckets 29 which are disposed at the upper part of the motor, extend in the same direction as those represented in the upper part of Fig. 1; while the buckets represented in the lower portion of Fig. 8 are in reversed position, adapting the motor to receive a current from the right hand instead of from the left hand. In order to bring about this reversal, at about the turn of high tide the switch 38 will be opened so as to run the inner ends of the buckets into the folding track 35. After all the buckets have been run into the inner track the right hand reversing switch 47 will be depressed into alinement with the main track extension 33. The motor should then be rotated in a reverse direction a small amount by a Windlass or similar means, so that the outer ends of the vanes or buckets are guided out into the turn-out or spur 39. This spur 39 projects to such an extent that the inner end of the bucket may pass to the opposite side as indicated. Now, when the bucket descends, the outer edge thereof will be found to be disposed behind the inner end. In Fig. 8, the two buckets are represented in the act of being re- 39 one at each end as described. It the motor is moved far enough in a reversed direction to bring one or more of the buckets into the water, the tide will do the rest when it turns. by hand.

In Fig. 9 I illustrate a construction for the motor which adapts the same to be used as a tide motor. In this case a cradle 53 is provided, similar to the cradle described above, in which there is arranged a pontoon 54. On the side walls 55 of this pontoon I arrange a main track 56 which has curved ends 57 connecting upper and lower extensions 58 and 59. The lower extension 59 extends along the bottom of the sluice as before, while the upper extension 58 of the track is disposed at a considerable height above the gear wheels 60. In addition to the main track 56, I provide an inner or auxiliary track 61, which is similar in form but smaller. This inner track is connected with the The switches will be operated main track by branches at each end such as that indicated by the numeral 62. At the points where the branch 62 connects with the main track 56 I provide a pivoted switch 63, and at the point where it connects with the auxiliary track 61, I provide a similar pivoted switch 64. The switch 63 normally occupies the position in which it is shown in Fig. 9. When it is moved into the position in which it is indicated in dotted lines, the ends of the buckets 65 will be directed from the main track into the upper portion of the auxiliary track. When the switch 64 occupies the position shown in full lines, the branch 62 is in communication with the upper extension of the auxiliary track, but when the switch 64 is thrown into the position indicated in the dotted lines, the auxiliary track 61 is cut off from the main track. When the device is being used as a wave motor, it will be submerged until the van es running in the upper portion of the motor are at substantially the level of the waves. As shown in Fig. 9, the motor is expected to be operated by waves coming from the right, as indicated by the buckets which incline toward the right as shown. The buckets in the lower portion of the motor are adapted to receive the force of the undcrtow, so that the energy developed by the waves is augmented by the outward flow of the water through the sluice. By means of the branch track 62 and the switches 63 and 64, the upper portion of the auxiliary track may be made to constitute a continuation of the lower portion of the main track, so that the outer ends of the buckets may be guided from the main track into the upper portion of the auxiliary track. When this takes place, the buckets will fold into the position in which one of them is indicated in dotted lines at 66 in Fig. 9. This mode of operation enables the motor of the construction just described to be used simply as a current motor. By advancing the buckets so that their outer ends are guided in the inner track the switches 64 may then be closed if desired so as to keep the bucket in a folded condition, so that when they return they will occupy a folded relation such as that indicated at 67 in Fig. 9. In other respects, the construction of this motor is substantially the same as that of the form first described.

In one aspect, the pontoon, together with the crib, may be considered as a frame for carrying the mechanism of the motor, and in this aspect the pontoon maybe considered as the body of the frame.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a motor of the class described, in combination, a frame, wheels mounted thereupon, cables passing around said wheels, buckets mounted on said cables, a track on said frame affording means for guiding said buckets, said track having a turn-out into which the ends of said buckets may be guided to reverse the position thereof.

2. In a motor of the class described, in combination, a frame, wheels mounted therein, cables passing around said wheels, buckets attached to said cables at their inner edges, a main track below said cables, and an auxiliary track below said cables affording means for guiding the outer ends of said buckets, said main track being adapted to hold said buckets in an open position, said auxiliary track being adapted to hold said buckets in a folded position at the under side of said cables, and switches for directing said buckets at the points of connection between said main track and said auxiliary track.

3. In a motor of the class described, in combination, a frame, wheels mounted thereupon, cables passing around said wheels, buckets carried by said cables, a main track and an auxiliary track adapted to direct the outer ends of said buckets, switches at the points of connection between said tracks, reversing turn-outs constituting extensions from said tracks, and reversing switches for directing said buckets into said turn-outs.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY WILLIAM SCHMIDT.

Witnesses I M. TIIUS, W. A. RIDER. 

